Shin Ghost Note

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

<Snipped quote by Shin Ghost Note>

Spoilers for Part 2

@Atrophy

I'm dead

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

rip Alizee x2

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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A sudden rainstorm awoke the three… it was strange that this place could rain at all. For once, they didn’t get attacked by monsters. The building was shaking, loudly creaking from the rainstorm…

Ella sat bolt upright, eyes wide as she turned her head towards the windows… not that she could look outside, because Lisa had completely boarded the place up with spider webs. She didn’t like the creaking. It was like the whole place could fall down at any time.

"Shit, that doesn’t sound like a normal storm," Saskia said as they jumped out of the bed.

"Maybe it’ll pass through?" Ella said hopefully, struggling to believe that would be the case even as she said it. She got up, before holding her head with a wail. "We didn’t bring any raincoats!"

”I mean,” Lisa shrugged. ”We don’t know how long it’ll last… we try and wait it out and…” Lisa trailed off.

”... Yeah, let’s just go.”

Ella nodded. Saskia held up a hand before either of them made a move towards the door.

"Lisa, tie us together. If the wind’s strong enough… better we all get blown away together. Or Ella’s fat ass will keep us on the ground."

"Hey!"

”Hehe, you need a spell to shrink that,” Lisa laughed, sticking her tongue out. Lisa raised both hands, and a thick web connected them. The building felt like it was about to fall apart! Lisa gestured for the door.

Ella pouted, but pushed through… leading the way through the door. Immediately, she was hit by the rain, soaking through her clothes. It was falling so fast it hurt. "Where do we go?!"

"Literally anywhere else!"

Ella grimaced, picked a random direction, and started trying to walk, and eyes formed on Lisa’s forehead, and upper cheeks. As they pushed through the rain, the web barely keeping them together in this rain storm, their clothes stuck to their bodies. Every step was heavy… Lisa immediately came to a stop, as she pointed ahead.

… There were figures in the storm. Not in the shape of a monster or beast.

But a human being.

About a dozen of them spread out as they approached the group… Soon, coming into view, they looked like ordinary people, with scared, tired, and weary expressions on their faces. They wore tattered scraps of fabric and leather that they could gather…. They were all armed with various weapons scraps of objects that they salvaged from the Pit - sharpened pipes, chair legs, baseball bats, and one of them even had a sword - and they stopped when they noticed them—looking in shock for a moment as if the group hadn’t seen the girls yet. However, one of them - a large man who was gaunt from his time in the Pit, wielding a sharpened piece of rebar like a spear - took a few steps forward. He spoke - and despite his size, he was trembling with every word.

“... W-we don’t want any trouble!” He shouted. “Stay back!”

In his jacket pocket, a glowing light pierced through the storm…

Ella tilted her head, not attacking immediately for once… partly because of the rain, she'd just electrocute herself! Though she could freeze them all… but they didn't seem dangerous. They were clearly terrified. And they didn't even look that intimidating!

"We won't help you! We're just three girls!" Ella lied cheerfully, one hand on her hip and pointing to the glowing light. This Storm was an absolute pain, they could barely move, she was cold and couldn't see… so… "Why's that light visible?"

The large man’s grip on the spear tightened… as Ella spoke, many raised their weapons. However, his eyes narrowed as she pointed at the glow in his pocket.

“Don’t come any closer!” He shouted. “It’s the only thing keeping us safe here! If you take it, we’re dead!”

One of the other figures, a wirey woman wielding a piece of rebar with concrete at the end of it - who stood by the large man - looked to the left and right. Terrified… she raised the piece over her head and lunged at Ella, swinging it downwards.

Ella barely flinched, colour draining from her bright pink jacket to cover her hands, which caught the rebar. She pushed back against it, aiming to throw the woman off balance.

"That’s it," Saskia’s eyes narrowed, bone spear shoving through her hand, snapping off and falling into the other. She pulled her arm back to throw it. "We-"

"Stop!" Ella shouted before Saskia could, holding her hands up. "Maybe we can come to an agreement? Get through this storm together, at least?"

The leader was silent…

“... Give us everything you have!” One of them shouted.

“Yeah! We outnumber you three!” Another shouted.

“We need it!”

The leader sighed before saying, “... Give us everything, and then leave.” He tightened his grip on the pipe. “That is the agreement.”

Saskia held up her hands, turning her head towards Ella, eyebrows raised. Ella frowned… clearly now was the time to actually attack!

At this rate they'd die from the cold and the rain.

"Well, we gave you a chance," Ella said cheerfully. One hand reached back to grasp the Ice Scepter. "Bye!"

Her other hand shot out, sending out a blast of incredibly hard snow large enough to catch the whole group thanks to the Ice Scepter.

“What the hell?!” The group was surprised when the blasts of snow hit them, and many of them were knocked over. On the other hand, Lisa stuck both of her hands out and summoned five Chitinionious spears that would impale the group's legs, one directed at the group’s leader…

”Run! Leave! You don’t want this fight!” Lisa shouted over the rain as loud as she could.

The leader was hit through the hip with the spear and fell backward. He groaned, pulling himself up as much as he could and his hand slipping into his pocket to grab the glowing object. He coughed before saying, “... You leave me no choice!”

He pulled out a peculiar orb, and as he clutched it, the artifact gleaned ominously… The intricate design on its surface came to life as the man chanted…
“Hold dominion over the skies…” His voice strained.

He raised the artifact high… and the storm intensified. The rain poured in a far heavier volume as the winds became so fierce that they threatened to lift them off the ground. Lightning struck in random locations,c and the whole scene became utter chaos

”We need to get that or off him!" Saskia shouted, going down on one knee. She pulled back her arm and threw the bone spear in her arm at the leaders shoulder.

"Saskia- boost me!" Ella shouted back, talking about their joint cast. She ran closer to Saskia, grabbing their hands. Saskia nodded, and they both channeled their green lux to make Ella much lighter, faster and stronger. Like this she probably wouldn't get blown away! Probably.

Then Ella ran for the leader, fast enough that she was almost a blur, and kicked a glowing foot at his stomach. He spit up blood, and, well, spit, as he was launched backward, and fell onto his back, dropping the orb. Suddenly, the rain storm vanished… and all of them ran into the swamp.

"Well, that was easy!" Ella said cheerfully.

"It was boring," Saskia intoned.

Ella laughed and squatted next to the orb, looking at it. If she picked it up would the storm immediately start again? She shrugged, and grabbed it anyway.

… And nothing happened.

”Aw, you broke it!”

"I just touched it!" Ella shouted.

”... Is that what your uncle said?” Lisa laughed like a goblin.

"Say the lame phrase, you're good at that," Saskia pointed out.

Ella pouted, standing up holding the orb. Hopefully she wouldn't just blow everyone away! "Hold dominion over the skies!"

Nothing happened.

Lisa shrugged.

”Let’s throw it at monsters!”

"Ooo, we can do monster bowling!" Ella grinned, shoving the orb into her backpack. She then shivered, looking down at her soaked clothes. "Let's find somewhere to get dry…"

Lisa shrugged.

”... We can always get naked!” Lisa awkwardly laughed as she walked in one direction with the others. Eventually, they left the swamp biome and entered a neighborhood biome… It was suburban, and all the houses were untouched, completely in perfect order.

”Let’s hunker down again,” Lisa suggested.

"Sounds good, I feel like I barely slept," Ella said, yawning. Maybe it was the rain… or just the paranoia while sleeping that something would attack. "We can hang our clothes to dry while we sleep!"

"And get attacked naked?" Saskia said.

”I mean, we got more clothes, right? Right, Saskia?” Lisa looked at Saskia in horror. ”RIGHT?!”

Saskia just stared at Lisa silently. Expression completely unreadable. Eventually, they spoke. "Did you pack any?"

”Of course!” Lisa said, throwing her hands in the air.

"I brought one change. That's enough," Saskia shrugged.

"Only one?!" Ella's mouth fell open. That was too few… at least they had one, but it still wasn't enough. "What if it gets wet too?"

"It won't," Saskia rolled their eyes. "Let's just find somewhere to sleep."

”It’s not like we can’t find more clothes down here,” Lisa said with a shrug as they approached the nearest house… and opened the door, as it was left unlocked. As she opened it, the house was in utterly perfect condition. Nothing was disturbed, but there was nobody there… completely untouched. The first thing Lisa did was open the refrigerator to reveal that it was fully stocked with fresh food. The cabinets were also stocked with snacks and other things. ”Holy shit! Let’s loot ever-”

“... The Pit provides.”

They heard the Mother Will’s voice like a whisper. Lisa’s head darted over her shoulder, looking for the spooky bastard, but she wasn’t there.

Ella screamed, arms coming up in a ridiculous looking karate position. She only relaxed when she was sure Mother Will wasn’t there.

"Can you scream quieter?" Saskia groaned, grabbing a chocolate bar from the cabinets and practically devouring it just like that.

"I’ll try…" Ella pouted, looking past Lisa and into the fridge at all the food. So much! "Maybe I can cook us a proper meal!"

”Yes, fatten us up for the monsters!” Lisa rolled her eyes.

"We need food for energy to fight the monsters," Ella countered.

”... Okay,” Lisa shrugged. ”I’m going to check upstairs.

Lisa walked upstairs into the bathroom and turned the knob to the shower… and the unexpected happened.

It sprayed water.

Not blood.

Nothing weird.

Just water.

"We can shower!" Ella practically cheered, having followed right behind Lisa. She was grinning widely. "First shower’s mine!"

”Well, someone has to keep watch,” Lisa said with a casual shrug.

"I’ll keep watch, I’m not in a rush," Saskia said, leaning on the wall just outside of the shower.

"Yay!" Ella grinned… immediately turning on the shower and starting to strip.

”I’ll watch the outside and make sure no monster eats us!” Lisa said with a toothy grin as she walked to the nearest window…

Ella quickly jumped into the shower, singing anime songs as she did… but quietly, so not to alert any weeaboo monsters in the area! She took her time to scrub off all the blood that had accumulated, drying herself off with a surprisingly fluffy towel and changing into some fresh clothes.

"Shower’s free!"

”.., Dibs!” Lisa quickly stripped out of her clothes and took a lengthy shower. After she was done, she came out, and dug into her backpack for a fresh set of clothes… And threw it all on.

Saskia shrugged, going in last. Their shower was incredibly brief, and they came out with some blood still in their hair, changing into their change of clothes… practically identical to her soaked set, completely black.

Ella held a hand over her mouth where she was half watching out the window, yawning. "Sorry girls, I think I’m too tired to cook."

"You can’t actually cook anyway," Saskia rolled their eyes.

”Well, let’s hit the hay,” Lisa said as she did the usual routine of summoning a horde of Darwin’s Bark Spiders to seal every entrance and exit with spider webs. Afterwards, she lay down and went to bed with the others. Saskia crawled in with a yawn. Ella paused, looking around first.

Just in case.

But the place was empty. So she got onto the bed, long arms wrapping around Saskia and Lisa as the biggest spoon, smiling as she fell asleep.

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Kingdom Hearts OST - End of the World

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Like Lisa did the previous “night,” Ella opened her eyes to a familiar world of motion and color… the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of Oceanview Gardens. The boardwalk stretched endlessly, and the waves crashed rhythmically… Everywhere Ella looked, there were people, but they were not entirely accurate. They looked and sounded real, but whenever Ella came in contact with them, they would phase through her as if she were intangible. They laughed and chatted, their voices soft and distorted, blending into the hum of the ocean breeze.

“... This is one of your favorite places back home,” The Mother Will appeared in the blink of an eye. There was no fanfare or transformations, and the Mother Will looked around. “Is it not?” She looked at Ella.

Ella had been enjoying the familiar scene… the smell of salt in the air, joyful sounds that seemed so familiar yet so strange at the same time. It wasn’t quite right, it wasn’t quite real, but it filled her with a yearning and joy she could shake. Until Mother Will appeared, and the smile slipped off her face.

"It is," Ella replied, turning towards the Mother Will, head tilted slightly. It had been one of the places she enjoyed going. A place not ruined by the Stygian Snake, like the Arcade had been. She’d been there with Saskia before… then them, Kari and Lisa in a brief moment of reprieve they’d had. "Why are you showing me it?"

“Because this is a place of joy! Of comfort!” The Mother Will began, dramatically raising a fist as she turned away…

“And because, despite your resistance…” The Mother Will began, turning back towards Ella. “... The Pit favors you three… and does not want to see you falter! So I came to you with a warning..”

The Mother Will paused, and the entire world stopped—as if frozen in time.

“A foe,” The Mother Will began, her voice calm. “A powerful adversary lies ahead, one whose presence could reshape the course of your journey. She is no mere opponent; her power and ruthlessness could unravel everything you’ve worked so hard for…”

The Mother Will slowly raised a fist…

… The scene shifted from the vibrance of Oceanview Gardens to a dramatic scene… the ruins of St. Portwell. The bustling boardwalk that the city was reduced to a disarray mess. Its wooden planks shattered and twisted, scattered among broken game stalls and rusted food stands. The Ferris wheel stood as a skeletal frame against the stormy sky, and waves crashed violently against the crumbling supports. The air was thick, and it smelled of salt and decay. The rest of St. Portwell ominously loomed from the ruined boardwalk in a fractured silhouette against the stormy sky. The city's skyline, once vibrant with its blend of modern skyscrapers and historic buildings, now appeared as dark, shadowy forms…

However, that wasn’t the focal point.

In the center of it all, Ella crashed her fist against the blade of that stranger they ran into the other night - the Samurai wearing tattered leather with the strange helmet. However, they were standing over the dead bodies of Lisa and Saskia… Lisa was wholly decapitated with her intestines sprawled over the floor; her eyes were wide with horror, and her jaw slack. Saskia was slumped up against the wall, with several lacerations all over their body, missing both of their arms, and a sword sticking out of their skull, oozing blood.

The Mother Will faced Ella, sinisterly chuckling, “This woman, this samurai seeks the All-Blade much like you and your friends do. However, she seeks to end you all to eliminate all competition for the All-Blade, and she is ruthless in that endeavor.”

The Mother Will paused for effect.

“... You and this samurai are fated to clash in the ruins of St. Portwell. Where your battle will determine the fate of your journey - she will kill all three of you, or you will kill her for the safety of your friends.”

"Saskia, Lisa!" Ella ignored what was said at first, running towards the bodies and falling onto her knees just before she reached them… reached the other her that was fighting their murderer. Tears spilled down her cheeks immediately, heart thudding in her chest, fear clutching her.

This was something that was going to happen? She couldn’t let it happen. She couldn’t let Saskia and Lisa die.

"Who is she?! If- If I kill her before, can I save them?"

The Mother Will was silent for a moment.

“... Kaida Takamura,” The Mother Will ominously answered. “A fanatic of the Stygian Snake that follows the teachings of Uroboros - a cult that worshipped the Stygian Snake. She was the one that was slaughtering your friends out of revenge for sealing the Stygian Snake...”

The Mother Will paused momentarily; that smile somehow widened.

“... She is the one that killed Kari Wilson.”

"... Kari too…" Ella whispered, barely reacting or moving. All she felt was shock and pain.

“However, she has ventured into the Pit for the All-Blade, believing that it can not only free the Stygian Snake but plunge the world into darkness…” The Mother Will began. “She knows you’re here. She knows you’re after the All-Blade. And she knows you will get in her way, so….”

The Mother Will laughed.

“... Yes, if you kill her, you can save your friends. But it will be the greatest challenge of your life, my girl. Kaida is relentless. Powerful. Dangerous. And she will stop at nothing to get the All-Blade and revenge for opposing her deity!”

Ella's hands clenched into fists, and she punched the ground with one of them. Someone who wanted to release the Stygian Snake… this went beyond just killing her best friends. It could kill everyone. Making their first death in complete vain. All that pain.

"Where is she? You said that Pit gives us anything we desire… can it bring me to her? Then I can kill her." There was no hesitation or even consideration about why she was being told this. Ella didn't care. Any risk of Lisa and Saskia dying was one she wasn't willing to take.

"I'll beat her, I don't care how strong she is… I'll be stronger. I won't let this happen. I can't let this happen. Even if i have to sacrifice myself!"

The Mother Will laughed, raising a hand.

“... If you insist.”

Before snapping her fingers, Ella rose awake.

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When Ella awoke…, neither Saskia nor Lisa was in sight. She woke in a bed… a familiar bed, in fact: the bed in her room, the room she had in perfect condition ten years ago.

In the ruins of St. Portwell.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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The Greenwood Coven.

Interactions: None.

Outside the House on the Hill.

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Right before Ruby could answer Edict with the closest thing to a "vocal" shrug she could, all hell broke loose. A portal opened, and Ruby immediately aimed her staff at the Apparition, which looked eerily familiar. However, the Apparition ignored her and the rest of Greenwood. While everyone was handling that, Ruby performed an aeromancy-boosted leap across the room to the rest of Greenwood - dropping her blunt in the process - who was ready. James had his axe crackling with electricity as he aimed it at the Apparition, the temperature around them lowered as Pearl performed a chant in Korean, Autumn still had the Apparition of Al Slaughter at the ready, Amelia had summoned several dozen razor-sharp leaves, Kashmira, Naomi, and Jess were simply at the ready...

After a bit of chattering, the Apparition revealed itself to be Alizee.

Which was shocking.

Ruby would have to report this to Lynette (Richoux).

"Everyone, bunch up on Naomi in case she comes after her," Ruby commanded, and all of Greenwood surrounded Naomi and acted as concealment.

"... If shit goes south, teleport us out," Ruby said lowly to Amelia, who gave an affirmative nod as Greenwood bunched up. Though, Ruby knew shit wasn't going to escalate that far when Leon came in and clocked the ghost. Ruby almost cheered him on.

"... Ooooooooooh shit!" Jessica shouted, laughing her ass off.

"Wolfman comin' in with the right hook!" James also laughed, cheering him on.

Then the Apparition surrendered, and they started grilling Alizee... It became apparent that some of them were partial to the Apparition. Ruby wasn't a supernatural expert when she knew that an Apparition is a whole new being when "reborn" (best way to put it). At least, that's what she learned from her time in the Temple. Though, there was a curiosity in Ruby...

"... I'll be back," Ruby said as she walked towards the big group around Alizee.

"What are you doing?" Pearl asked.

Ruby planted her staff firmly on the ground before saying.

"... Just trust me on this one, okay?" Ruby said before she continued marching towards Alizee.

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Ruby White, & Lynette Domínguez.

Interactions: 'Alizee' Vul (@Estylwen), and I guess the entire Coven.

The House on the Hill.

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Linqian began flipping out, and there wasn't anything Britney could say... Indeed, she was considering this out of more profound guilt that she failed Alizee and let the Void Heart lead her to her death. If she had just sealed Voidy ten years ago, none of this would have happened, and Alizee would have had a choice for once. There wasn't anything that Brit could say or do to console Linqian or get her to calm down. She'll stop her tantrum on her own. Though Aaron also joined in, and Britney rolled her eyes, muttering to herself.

^{”... Half of ya'll don't even know how to seal: sit down.”}

“Those names… I'm sorry, they don't ring a bell.”

Alizee

Britney grimaced.

... Of course, we get the part of Alizee that is fully devoted to the Void Heart. She might be beyond help. Britney briefly thought to herself.

“Brother, he is my source, my strength. I have to maintain my good word. Surely he isn't the villain you make him out to be?”

Alizee

Britney sighed.

”... The Void Heart is not a good person - ghost - whatever,” Britney answered. ”He is an Apparition from the Void, but he requires an anchor to remain in this realm. He latched onto your... predacessor when she was only a child. And, well, groom- molded her in his image. He was going around draining people of their life force while brainwashing her into thinking that it was all okay.”

Britney nodded her head.

”However, he was cocky, and his recklessness caused us a lot of problems,” Britney began. ”Which is why I understand a few of us are... hesitant.”

“I will admit I've been… blindly following this. I don't have another purpose besides seeking out the Void Heart. What other purpose could there be, for someone like me?”

Alizee

”... Hear me out!” Britney said to the entire Coven, raising her hands. Before she turned to Alizee and said, ”There are some people who would pay big-money for some freaky-deeky chain bondage. We pimp you out to them and make bank.”

Britney couldn't help but laugh before giving Alizee a warm smile.

”... Okay, okay, I'm sorry. In all seriousness, you can make your own purpose. No one controls you, but you,” Britney answered with a warm smile. ”The Void Heart is bad news, girl. Trust me. I don't know where he went, but if you find him... then what?”

Britney paused before she continued.

”The Void Heart needs an anchor to remain in this realm; that anchor has to be a human being,” Britney sighed before briefly glancing at Layla. ”And... I don't mean to be an asshole, but you're just not a human being anymore, so you can't be that anchor. So I doubt he'll want anything to do with you ^{unless Lynn is right}. I'll literally eat my shoe if you're the first host this has happened to.”

"I'll hold you to that, Big-Butt," Lynette cattily said as she walked up, taking Britney's side.

”Yup, I'll season it, boil it in a lil' pot, and eat it with a fork and knife!” Britney joked.

Ruby walked up, clutching the staff, before she sighed.

"... It's not my place to decide for you all," Ruby began, addressing the Coven at large. "But, there isn't a malicious bone - ^{you know what I mean} - in her body. She is scared and in disbelief... yet grateful and hopeful simultaneously. Hopefully, that will help you all make up your damn mind on this matter so we can get a move on."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at Alizee before aiming the staff at her.

"Your, uh, predecessor, caused my group a lot of problems, you know!" Ruby shouted, "... You won't be doing that again, will you?"

Britney sighed; she wanted to give this Alizee another chance... she knew it could end badly, but the whole Coven was entire of liabilities and fuckups on two legs; what's one more? Britney sighed before saying.

”... I think we should give her a chance, but if you all don't want to, I'm not going to hold it against ya'll,” Britney began, addressing the entire Coven, but giving an apologetic glance to Linqian and Aaron. ”If she becomes a problem, we'll just seal her. Didn't seem like a problem before, but...”

Britney looked up at Alizee.

”...One of my terms and conditions is that you stop looking for the Void Heart. I'll seal you myself if you don't. The Void Heart has caused us serious trouble, and we don't want him around.”

Britney nodded her head.

”Do we have a deal?”

Recollections: The Compendium

THE.TEMPEST.SPHERE
| The Storm's Sovereign | "Hold dominion over the skies..." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | Unknown, believed to be created by a Weather-based Apparition. | TYPE: | Weather Changing Orb. | LOCATION: | It was accidentally cast into the Pit. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | TBA | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. | .............................................................................	The Tempest Sphere is a legendary artifact renowned for its immense power, intricately etched with designs that pulse with the raw energy of countless storms. Its deep blue surface, adorned with ancient symbols, represents the elements it commands: wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Believed to have been created by forgotten weather deities or born from the collective belief of ancient civilizations that revered the forces of nature, the Tempest Sphere holds the remarkable ability to manipulate the weather with a mere thought. Its wielder can summon torrential rains, unleash devastating hurricanes, or quickly calm a fierce storm. However, this incredible power comes with a price. The sphere feeds on its user’s emotions, amplifying its potency in response to anger and desperation. Conversely, if wielded by someone with a troubled heart, it becomes unpredictable and chaotic. The artifact's volatile nature makes it a double-edged sword, embodying the very essence of nature’s fury.

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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The smell of salt mixed with something metallic filled the air. The three of them rode on the back of the spider as it carefully walked alongside the beach. As far as Lisa could see, there was nothing, just sand, the red sky, and the sea of blood—but no monsters! This was surprising because usually, there was a monster every two feet… However, as they walked forward, in sight came an ancient city. Lisa pointed at it and said,

”... Should we go there? Or should we just keep going?”

"Here's safe but…" Ella held a hand above her eyes, turning to look at the city. "We might find some info in the city… or things that can help us."

"I agree with Ella, for once," Saskia said. "Let's go there."

Lisa didn’t open her mouth to respond; she only took a deep breath as she commanded the spider to advance. She glanced at Saskia and Ella, the lack of monsters was unnerving because she knew something else was coming. The spider approached the city as the scent of salt and metal met the smell of decay. As they entered the city limits, Lisa’s eyes swept across the desolate streets, taking in the sight of broken columns and crumbling walls.

Lisa kept her gaze sharp as the spider navigated through the ruins. Her eyes darted around, alert for any signs of danger or useful objects among the wreckage. The air grew heavier with the scent of decay as they ventured deeper into the city. When they reached a large, partially intact structure, Lisa commanded the spider to pause, and nervously looking between Saskia and Ella, she asked,

”Should we go in?” Lisa shrugged. ”I dunno what’s in there, but could be something!”

Saskia looked around with narrowed eyes, body tense and knife already in their hand. But they nodded. "We run at the first sign of danger."

"If we're lucky the All-Blade will be inside, just like we want!" Ella managed to joke, covering her nose with one hand.

”... Wouldn’t that be convenient!” Lisa snorted as she carefully commanded the spider to enter the building. The first chamber they entered had a high ceiling supported by pillars, the red light of the sky seeping through the cracks and broken windows. The walls were lined with faded murals depicting battles, rituals, and strange beasts.

Lisa hopped off the spider and walked up to a particular mural—one that depicted a robed figure holding up a golden sword that looked suspiciously like the All-Blade. He held it in both hands to stab a giant human with exaggerated features (razor-sharp teeth, claws, breathing fire, red eyes)—another mural of a line of robed figures blasting the Stygian Snake with light beams.

Ella's mouth fell open. "They're fighting the snake?! That isn't… no way it's us. Our robes didn't look like that…"

"Makes sense others fought it," Saskia said, tilting their head back to look at the mural with narrowed eyes. "I'm more interested in what the other thing is…"

”I mean, the Snake’s been around for awhile,” Lisa snorted at Ella. Before pointing at the ‘other thing’ Saskia mentioned. ”It’s a big scary MF, duh!” Lisa laughed before shrugging.

”... Maybe we’ll find out in here.”

"More murals, hopefully!" Ella threw up her hands almost excitedly, skipping forward further into the place.

An ornate stone door at the far end of the chamber stood slightly ajar. Compelled to proceed further, Lisa advanced wordlessly. With every step, the hairs on her neck rose higher and higher, her heart racing. Lisa pressed on without worry as she stepped into the room after pushing the doors wider. It revealed an even grander space; the walls were lined with shelves that contained hundreds, if not thousands, of books. Books, glowing urns, and other pottery had a strange power.

The floor was lined with strange symbols that led to the center of the room - a stone slab with glowing symbols. Lisa grabbed one of the books made of worn leather and opened it… Only to be some language she didn't recognize.

”... Let’s see what we can find,” Lisa began. ”Anything will help at this rate… Just keep on your toes; who knows what might be lurking in here.”

"And no fire," Saskia added, looking at Ella, who pouted.

”Maybe there's ancient magical manga in here!" she said cheerfully, starting to look at the spines of books for any in English… and pulling out a few unlabelled ones, only to put them back.

”I mean, even if there was, we wouldn’t be able to read it,” Lisa snorted again.

Saskia, on the other hand, unclotted the wound on their palm, forming a thin whip. They reached out with it to very gently touch the nearest urn. It did absolutely nothing.

“... Don’t touch me like that; it’s gay.” The urn said.

Lisa shrugged as she kept going through all the books and tombs, but she couldn’t understand them. She put it back as she looked around at her comrades… then pointed at Ella, ”... Ella! Tell the Mother Will you’ll stay here if she translates all this!”

Ella scrunched up her face, looking between Lisa, to Saskia who nodded, then back to Lisa. "I’d stay here forever to read these books but I can’t read them, oh no!"

“... Why hello there,” A feminine voice came from the doorway. Lisa immediately whipped her head around to see a person who had to be around five-foot-something and was wearing a black robe that covered their face. This person was hunched forward and took some slow steps as she said, “... Here for enlightenment, I presume? The answer to some question, I guess?”

”... Maybe.”

Ella screamed, and immediately shot the person with a bolt of lightning. The figure hunched over, growling before she hit a hand out - revealing a disgusting hand covered in boils and festering wounds, oozing a green liquid. Maggots wiggled out of the wounds as flies and bees forced their way out of the person’s flesh. They took flight, filling the room with a cloud of insects and attacking all three.

“Sisters!” The woman screamed. “I need help!”

"Shit," Saskia hunched over as bees started stinging them, rapidly repelling them with blood armour crawling across their skin.

Ella held out her hands, shooting a continuous, short ranged burst of flame out of them in an attempt to torch all of the bugs, still screaming.

Lisa, meanwhile, deployed the Exoskeleton and that was enough to stop the bees. However, there were still bees everywhere, so while Ella was torching them; Lisa raised her hands and created a net of webs around herself. It was to catch the spiders for Ella and give them breathing room… Though, the weirdo in the robe took off running.

"FUCKING BEES!" Ella shouted as she torched them as quickly as she could, shaking her arms at the same time to dislodge ones that were shoving their stingers into her skin. She had an easier time of it with the webs catching them.

”Not just bees but hornets, and beetles, and flies, and mosquitoes…” Lisa said as she was reminded of Trisha.

"It's almost nostalgic," Saskia chuckled. They flicked out their wrist, long blood whip forming and trying to wrap around the robes person's legs and tripped her. She desperately tried to pull away.

”... Remind me to spider Trisha when we get back!”

"I'll make sure to."

“... I am trapped, sisters!” She shouted. “Heeeeeelp!”

Saskia rolled their eyes, using the whip to drag the person back towards them. Ella was finishing off torching all of the bugs, getting rid of any that were still flying around.

"Nobody's coming to help you," Saskia intoned, crouching down beside the robed woman. Ella kept her eye on where she'd been trying to run.

The woman threw the hood up and revealed her skin had heavily rotted away with maggots and worms burrowing into her flesh. She gave Saskia the side eye.

“... Of course they are coming to help,” The lady began. “We are everywhere in the ancient city! We were tracking your every moment from the moment you came from the beach.”

The lady paused, “Even if they don't help me now, they are taking position outside...”

She narrowed her eyes. “... I was only trying to induct you into our sisterhood and you attack me!

"Are they all as weak as you?" Saskia asked.

“... Find out, whore!”

Ella couldn't even look at the woman, head tilted back to look up and avoid her. "I don't want to join a sisterhood and end up looking like you! We're already part of one- and I've watched too many anime with creepy cults to trust you!"

"Explain your sisterhood," Saskia said, long, thing bone needle poking out their finger and pointing at the woman's rotting neck..

“We are the Abyss,” The woman began, “Much like you, we found ourselves in the Pit for one reason or another. We wanted to find a way out, but in time we discovered everything this place offers. Then we discovered that we belong here. This place is home. Just as our Goddess the Mother Will says.”

"So just a cult. That's boring." Saskia intoned, tilting their head back to look up at Ella and Lisa. "Should I kill her? It's a shame we can't eat her."

Lisa shrugged.

”No need...”

A Chitionious spear went directly through the woman’s head and popped out through the other side. Because her skin and bones were rotting, it was easy for the spear to break through. However, the spear sent many maggots flying across the room.

”... Kill stolen.” Lisa awkwardly laughed. Desperately trying to lighten the mood, fake playfulness is better than no playfulness. She looked around, ”Should we keep looking around or just get out of here?”

Saskia grimaced, flicking away the maggots that had landed on their face and standing back up. "Let's leave, we clearly won't be able to read any of these books."

”This place is giving me the creeps," Ella shuddered, as if the whole place wasn't creepy. She was actively trying to not look at any of the maggots, it seemed. Lisa stepped on a maggot on the floor, crunched it underneath her feet, then shrugged.

”... Toooo the spiiiiiiiiiiider!” Lisa shouted as she led the magical girls back to the spider, which was untouched in the other room and mounted it. She gestured for the other two to climb on before commanding them to walk outside...

… And it quickly became clear that weirdo wasn’t talking out her ass.

The previously empty rooftops were now lined with robed figures wielding flaming crossbows and rifles (including the oversized muskets used by the Autoknights). The cultists wore tattered robes and had their faces hidden behind crude masks - some made to resemble demonic faces, and others were simply cloth wraps with eye slits. They were spread out, forming a perimeter, and many points for them to get a clean shot at them… Lisa’s eyes shot wide open.

"Well shit," Saskia said quietly. "You can't make armour for the spider, can you?"

”I mean, technically it already has armor…” Lisa shrugged.

Ella reached over to put a hand on Saskia and Lisa's shoulders, beginning to transform their clothes into much more protective (and styled to their taste) magical girl outfits. "... We're just passing by, peacefully, please let us through!"

”Yeah!” Lisa said before she lied out of her ass. ”Your friend is a-okay! We just finished with some freaky sex with a lot of bugs, and she’s all tuckered out! Just go in there liiiiiiiiike a few minutes after we leave, and she’ll be all good!”

There was silence.

”... Ella, show ‘im your tids.”

"Yeah, Ella, get them out," Saskia intoned.

Ella’s eyes widened, and she looked between her two friends, then at all the people surrounding them. Making the decision quickly, she pulled her hands back to pull up her shirt. She was wearing a bra underneath, obviously… "I’ll- I’ll take my bra off if you put your weapons down!"

Each of the cultists looked at each other in confusion. There was some faint chattering, but it was too far for Lisa (or any of them) to make out what they were saying. Lisa casually commanded the spider to walk down the street while they were distracted slowly…

“... Don’t let them get away!” One of them shouted.

Before they opened fire, and a barrage of flaming crossbow bolts came at them from above. ”... Shit.” Lisa hissed as she commanded the spider to take flight. However, she only commanded it to fly forward because going straight up was a death sentence. ”Ella, now is the time to shoot them with lightning!”

"Got it- MAGICAL LIGHTNING STRIKE!" Ella screamed unnecessarily, dropping her shirt. Her hands were coated in electricity, and she shot large bolts of lightning at as many cultists as she could. She shot a constant stream, moving her hands from cultist to cultist.

Meanwhile, Lisa just had the spider pick up speed and take flight…

… A gunshot rang out, and it went through the wing of the spider. ”Fuck!” Lisa shouted as the spider flew out of control. ”Shit, shit, shit!” Lisa shouted again before she deployed Snare to stop them from falling out of control. They were caught by the web… unfortunately, the rooftops were still lined with cultists.

”Give me The Stone!” Lisa shouted.

Saskia pulled out the Stone and shoved it right into Lisa’s hand. Ella was still blasting cultists with lightning before swapping to throwing fireballs at them. Sweat began to drip down her face as the constant barrage of attacks clearly exhausted her.

When the Orange-Stone hit her hand, Lisa channeled its immense power to summon spiders - then applied the Enlarge and Hybridization spells to them. She immediately brought them to full size with the Orange Stone, and they immediately burst out. Lisa commanded them to fly up towards the cultists and applied the Acid-Burst spell. They exploded, spraying acid and chitin in all directions and making the cultists scatter.

But that wasn’t enough! Lisa kept making spiders and sending her suicide bombs at them-

A flaming bolt from a crossbow caught her off guard, piercing her cheek and coming out through her jaw. Blood and teeth flew outwards as Lisa was caught off guard - unsure of what to do.

"Shit- give it to me," Saskia hissed. They reached over, slamming their hand onto the orange stone embedded in Lisa's hand. It stuck to their hand too… but was still embedded in Lisa's too. "Heal yourself."

Ella was crouched down, less frequently sending out bolts of lightning. She was panting heavily.

Saskia shoved massive wings through their back, extending out double the normal side, with sharp bone tips pushing out along the whole bottom edge, and hardened muscles coated them. They wrapped them around Ella and Lisa in a temporary wing shield. "Lisa… can you summon enough spiders for blood rain?"

Unfortunately, Lisa could not fucking talk right now… her tongue dangled helplessly as she felt a white-hot burning in her face. A shaky hand raised a thumb as she summoned her blood-filled spiders high up into the sky…

Saskia raised their hand, causing the blood sacks in the spiders to expand and expand. They got bigger than they ever had before, then exploded over the entire area, raining down acidic, sticky blood. Their wings pulled Lisa and Ella in, taking the brunt of the rain, which melted through the muscle and bone horrifically.

The cultists got the brunt of it due to their positioning and ran away screaming. Well, the ones that could - many were killed outright.

"Here," Ella whispered, as stray drops of acid hit her. She grabbed her Channeler to hit Lisa with a beam of healing light. Which provided a slight relief before realizing.

The arrow was still fucking in her jaw.

Just healed over.

Lisa grumbled, pointing at the arrow. She needed to kill those cockroaches before they got away.

Saskia withdrew what was left of their wings, and a thin bone spear poked through every finger of their free hand. They used them to perform a makeshift surgery… cutting through Lisa's cheek to pull out the arrow.

Ella tried to shoot the running cultists with lightning, but she looked pretty drained, struggling to keep up. Lisa could still not talk, but she looked up and saw most of the cultists were dead, stuck, or retreating… she placed her free hand on the spider. The wounds that it had sustained, including its wings, were healed instantly. Lisa’s head went back towards the Cultists. She needed to crush these-

Spiders came from underneath Lisa’s clothes and ran down her and Saskia’s arms. At their joined hands, Lisa activated the acid-burst spell, and they exploded. The acid dissolved both of their hands - painfully - and removed the Orange Stone. She screamed in pain as the Orange Stone fell onto the back of the spider.

Lisa immediately commanded the spider to take flight, and the three of them darted out of the chaos of the ancient city. Leaving empty-handed yet again…

---

As Lisa, Saskia, and Ella escape the ancient city and its deadly cultists, they stumble into a new biome—an eerie, fragmented swamp combining natural and unnatural elements. This swamp is a mishmash of broken ecosystems, with patches of dense, suffocating fog that hang over stagnant, dark waters. The trees were twisted and gnarled, oozing a black sap that smelled of decay… and occasionally, the trees changed position. The spider landed on the ground, and Lisa hopped off and felt the spongy earth beneath her feet. Her outfit was drenched in her blood, but she managed to heal herself during the trip here. Lisa looked ahead and saw strangely ghostly, orbs of lights that drifted aimlessly through the fog.

At the swamp's edge, they saw a strange shack. Lisa was tired and wanted a break… She pointed at it. ”Let’s make sure it’s safe and take it easy for the night… day… whatever the hell the time of day is down here.”

"Who knows," Saskia shrugged. Ella had healed their hand on the flight, and they’d put the Orange Stone back into the little carry bag they had for it. "That shack is definitely the setting of some horror film."

"This whole place is a horror film!" Ella said, while she nodded enthusiastically to what Lisa had said. "I need to sleep… I used too much energy shooting all that lightning. Hopefully it’s empty."

As she spoke she began to approach the shack… but it was clear all the events had started to take their toll by the way she didn’t just rush in, but went towards it slowly and cautiously.

”I mean, if it’s not, all we have to do is murder what’s inside!” Lisa laughed as she walked towards the ramshackle… shack. She walked up to the front door and casually pushed it open… she could smell the reeking odor of decay, rotting wood, and swamp water. However, it seemed empty despite the place being a complete mess, and Lisa found a somewhat intact bed. She looked to the left and the right.

”You know the deal; I’ll cover this place in spider webs, and then we sleep until a monster shows up or something,” Lisa shrugged.

"The monster attacks are getting a bit boring," Saskia laughed drily. They began to look around the place, kicking over some of the debris across the floor. "I wish they’d spice it up a bit."

"I don’t!" Ella yawned, flopping right onto the bed. She spread her limbs out into a star shape.

Lisa just shrugged as she summoned a horde of Darwin Bark spiders, which covered the location in webs… making it a near impenetrable fortress—or enough for Lisa and company not to get caught off guard. Afterward, Lisa hopped on the bed with the others and cuddled them.

”Night night!” Lisa said, falling asleep…

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So Cold - Silent Strike & Lucia

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As Lisa peacefully drifted off, she felt something strange…

Lisa heard the crashing of waves, and the air was thick with the scent of salt. Her eyes opened as she sat up… The sky wasn’t red like she was growing accustomed to, but it was a shade of twilight blue, seeming neither day nor night. Clouds shaped like cotton candy lazily floated over her head, and beneath her feet was soft, warm sand. Lisa was unsure whether she was awake or asleep… and despite the tranquil surroundings, this place was uneasy. Something horrible that lurked undeath….

Lisa blinked.

Then the Mother Will was there.

Lisa recoiled as the strange being said,

“... It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The Mother Will said, turning towards the water for a moment. “... Do you know why you’re here?”

Lisa shook her head, seemingly losing her voice.

“The Pit contains more than power… as I said before, it is the home of enlightenment and change,” The Mother Will explained. “There are truths you need to face, Lisa. Truths about yourself, and her...”

Despite the warmth of the sand, Lisa felt a chill…

“... Emily G. Reed,” The Mother Will began. “Your tormentor.”

That name made Lisa’s fucking heart flutter as that chill crept down her spine, making the poor girl shudder. Lisa looked at the waves, trying to find some relief as she tried to distract herself through any means necessary.

“I can sense great rage in your heart,” The Mother Will said, “It overpowers everything else… and there isn’t a day or second where that woman doesn’t enter your thoughts. She was your tormentor. She harassed you not only in school but in the Old Coven. And that made you angry. It made you angry that you couldn’t stop it. And as much as you love Adora Phoenix-Prescott, the fact you needed her to save you only makes you angrier.”

The Mother Will laughed as bad memories were brought up.

“But, what if I told you the truth about Emily G. Reed…” The Mother Will began. “The real reason why you were her target, her obsession…”

Lisa was still silent, getting over the recoil of hearing Emily G. Reed’s name.

“She hated you and your friends because she was afraid of you all,” The Mother Will said, and Lisa tilted her head. “You all were so unabashedly - unapologetically - the very thing that she hated herself for.”

The Mother Will laughed, “Even in all of her lust for power - desperately holding onto it because she knows without it, she’s nothing - she knew you had something she didn’t. And that made her terrified of you. So that’s why she was so desperate to put you down - make you the insect.”

The Mother Will paused for dramatic effect, “Because… Emily is the insect that wants to be the wolf. Try as she might, but she is still the insect. And she knows it. Thus, she wants to hide her insecurities and fear by gorging herself on power and making everyone else the insect.”

This all made sense to Lisa, but no sense… Lisa hated Emily with all of her heart. But the Mother Will continued…

“Yet, despite all the pain she caused you, she made you stronger. Stronger than anyone ever could have imagined. Not only that, she gave you EVERYTHING you wanted. Friendship, power, purpose, a guiding light… Did she not?”

Lisa tapped her fingertips together before she answered…

”... Yes.”

“Emily’s fear of you was always her greatest weakness,” The Mother Will said, “That's why she tried so hard to hurt you - to keep you from realizing how strong you are.”

The Mother Will laughed, “She wanted to make you feel small and insignificant, and in doing so, she only revealed her own insecurities—her own fear of being exposed as weak. She knew, deep down, you were everything she could never be.”

Lisa’s jaw tightened when she began to remember all the sick pranks Emily had played on her. Lisa knew there was a deeper meaning, but she never considered it.

“And yet, despite all she’s done, Emily G. Reed not only walks free but only has gotten worse in time,” The Mother Will said before raising a hand, “Observe.”

Suddenly, that beach oasis fell apart… as if it were dust blown by a strong gust of wind. It was nothing but darkness until the scene reformed. St. Portwell - at least that was what Lisa thought - Emily was in a warehouse. Her goons were behind her, and a group of people was in front of her—just regular people, looking on in fear of Emily G. Reed.

“... Spare us!” One of them shouted.

Emily put her hands on her hips and smiled. Her mouth moved to say a few words, but all Lisa heard was silence. Up until the end.

“... You all made your decision,” Emily began, before rolling her eyes, “... Now die.”

Emily swiped her hand, and a powerful wave of fire came and incinerated the people. Their screams were muffled by the screams inherent to Emily’s hellfire. Then the scene changed to various scenes of Emily massacring innocent people, causing destruction, and being the very monster Lisa thought she was…. Until the dust settled, and it returned to that beach scene.

“... If it weren’t for Britney Williams, Emily G. Reed would have just been another casualty of the Stygian Snake.” The Mother Will explained.

Lisa tilted her head, ”... What did Britney do?”

The Mother Will laughed.

“... She gave her Babylon the Great, of course,“ The Mother Will started, and Lisa’s eyes shot open in shock. “It was a choice made out of desperation, not considering the consequences of her actions at all! Because of her, Emily G. Reed and Babylon the Great are still alive. She is still victimizing people on an unprecedented scale because fewer people are capable of stopping her! And worst of all…”

Somehow, the Mother Will’s grin widened.

“... She thinks she won.”

Rage traveled up Lisa’s spine to her fists… which were tightly balled into fists. But the Mother Will’s voice dropped lower when she said,

“... But, you Lisa, you’re different,” The Mother Will started, “She gave you nothing but hell, yet you’ve endured. She sent you on the darkest spiral, and you came back! Even death couldn’t stop you! Imagine the look on her face when she sees that you’ve returned… And you can show her what true strength, what true power looks like…”

The beach seemed to grow quieter, the weight of the words pressing in on Lisa. The Mother Will wasn’t demanding anything; she merely presented the truth as it was, laying it bare before Lisa’s eyes.

"After all," she continued, her tone smooth as silk, "isn’t it only fair that she finally sees the consequences of her actions? That she feels the fear she tried to instill in you?"

Lisa exhaled… the thought of finally taking Emily down was so tempting.

“... It’s your choice,” The Mother Will said, raising a hand, “You have the power to stop Emily G. Reed, just as you can ignore me...”

The Mother Will placed her thumb and index finger together.

“... Do what you must, Lisa Turner.”

The Mother Will snapped her fingers, and Lisa woke up.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Interactions: 'Alizee' Vul (@Estylwen), Linqian (@FernStone), and I guess the entire Coven.

The House on the Hill.

---

As Britney hoped they would, things were chilling out a little, and she released her grasp on Linqian. She sighed as she sat next to Greyson, who was asking the wise and generous Ruby some questions. Adora and Layla were still outside - and if the latter would act like that, keep her there. Britney wasn't sure if she was just sprung off that Greyson-D, but she could see where he came from with some of these questions. Britney still wanted the alliance, though it was not up to her.

Though, nobody could have guessed what happened next when a portal opened right at Jack and a strange Apparition appeared. Britney hopped to her feet, readying the Noble Vow for combat. There was something familiar about the Apparition, but God knew Britney was tired of weird shit following them around. A chain drifted towards Britney - but Linqian quickly stepped on it. Britney knew she didn't want to destroy her clothes (even though Bean was here and willing to make her some for free).

“... Alizée. Alizée Vul.”

The Apparition

Britney's jaw dropped.

She almost fell on her ass.

It was Alizee... Well, her Apparition, of course. Britney was surprised as they come, though she was more surprised she didn't run into more Apparitions of their fallen Coven sisters and brothers. Why now? Why here?

And why was everyone and their grandmother so obsessed with that stupid Apparition?!

”I am so fucking sick of this shit. That fucking shadow testicle keeps causing fucking problems when we're fucking dying, and have had it up to fucking here with it. Just fuck off. The fucking testicle isn’t here.”

Linqian

”Girl I should be saying that!” Britney shouted, turning towards Linqian.

The Coven, naturally, dogpiled "Alizee," and the Apparition surrendered.

If only the real Alizee had that much sense.

“I don't know what you mean by me not being Alizée. Of course I'm Alizée. But I… I don't remember much. I’m… well, I'm new.”

Alizee

Britney took a few steps forward.

”... You are Alizee, but at the same time, you're not Alizee,” Britney began her explanation. ”You're not our Alizee. Alizee Alteri was shot to death by the Wolfpack, then the Hound took what he needed, and the leftover consciousness, psyche, and memories, formed an entirely new being and, well...”

Britney trailed off, shrugging.

”... Became you.”

“I'm sorry for jumping you. You're my first lead in a long time, and I… got excited. Anxious. My entire existence depends on the Void Heart. I don't remember much of who they were, I just know they're important. And that I need to find them. Wouldn’t you do the same for those you love? Please… I don't want to fight you. Just… give me a second chance. I can help you.”

Alizee

Britney snorted.

”Girl! You came in here with the chain bondage off jump!” Britney started, sassily putting a hand on her hip, ”At least give us a safe word!”

Though, Britney was only trying to add some levity to the situation. Britney's face went flat as she continued, ”I'm not going to tell the group what they should or should not do: we have many problems right now, and I don't think anyone wants to add to it."

Britney nodded her head.

”But what exactly do you remember? Do you remember anyone else other than Voidy? Does the name Britney Williams ring a bell? What about... Jack Hawthorne?”

Recollections: The Compendium

THE.SLAUGHTER.SABRE
| The Blade of Unrelenting Carnage | "It drinks in the blood of the fallen, growing sharper with every life it takes." ORIGINS & CREATIONS: | The Slaughter Sabre was born from the collective fear and fascination with violence and death. It materialized not through the hands of a skilled blacksmith but through the intense, primal emotions surrounding war, bloodshed, and the dark desires of mankind. Over countless generations, as tales of brutal battles and merciless warriors were passed down, the weight of these stories took shape in the form of the Slaughter Sabre—a sword that embodies the pure essence of slaughter. | TYPE: | Cursed sword. | LOCATION: | Like many similar artifacts, the Slaughter Sabre was cast into the Pit. | NOTABLE OWNERS: | The Slaughter Sabre has been wielded by some of the All-Verse's most ruthless and bloodthirsty figures. | ABSTRACTION-GRANTING: | No. |	The Slaughter Sabre is a weapon of pure spite, a blade forged in the darkest recesses of human belief and sustained by the blood it spills. This cursed sword is as much a predator as it is a tool, crafted from a metal that seems to absorb light itself. The blade is inscribed with ancient, arcane runes that pulse with a dim, hellish glow, growing brighter with every life it takes. This weapon’s foremost power is its insatiable thirst for blood, a hunger beyond mere killing. Each time the Slaughter Sabre takes a life, it drinks deeply of the victim’s essence, not just their life force but their very soul. This consumption feeds the blade, making it sharper, more lethal, and increasingly nasty. The Sabre’s sinister aura grows with every death, radiating a sense of dread that chills the bones of anyone near it. Those who wield it are quickly overwhelmed by a relentless bloodlust; their minds twisted into something monstrous, driven to kill again and again, each strike feeding the blade’s ravenous appetite. Victims of the Sabre are not merely slain; they are tormented by horrifying visions and hallucinations in their final moments, seeing their worst fears manifest before them. The sword delights in this torment, drawing strength from the fear and agony of its victims. The Sabre can incite a frenzy in its wielder, enhancing their strength, speed, and reflexes to superhuman levels, but at the cost of their sanity. In this state, the wielder becomes a near-unstoppable force, driven purely by the desire to kill. However, once the frenzy subsides, the wielder is exhausted physically and mentally, and the Sabre’s hold over their mind grows more robust. Additionally, the Sabre retains a "memory" of every life it has taken. The wielder can access these memories, gaining insight into the victims' skills, tactics, and weaknesses. The Slaughter Sabre can also transfer a portion of the life force it absorbs to its wielder, healing their wounds. However, this comes with a cost—the more the wielder relies on this ability, the more their soul becomes bound to the Sabre, making it increasingly difficult to part with the cursed weapon. But the Sabre’s darkness does not end with its victims. The blade is a parasite, feeding not just on those it kills but also on its wielder. Each time it is used, the Sabre tightens its grip on the wielder’s soul, corrupting their thoughts, eroding their humanity, and binding them ever closer to the weapon’s malevolent will. What begins as a subtle whisper in the back of the mind soon becomes an overwhelming, all-consuming obsession. The wielder becomes a puppet to the blade, their will subverted, their identity erased, until they are nothing more than a vessel for the Sabre’s dark intent. The Sabre does not merely crave blood; it craves the destruction of all that is good, reveling in the destruction it leaves in its wake. Those who wield the Slaughter Sabre are doomed to a fate worse than death, their souls devoured, their lives consumed by an unending cycle of bloodshed and despair until there is nothing left but the darkness that the Sabre so desperately craves. ....................................................................................

Paragraphs: Agents of Death [FernStone & Shin Ghost Note]

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---

The Agents of Death then looted the mansion. They found nothing useful other than some canned/packaged foods, bottled water, and some medical supplies. However, the horde of robots completely ravaged the mansion. Their very heavy steps shattered wood and tile, they tore up the walls and any hiding spaces looking for the Agents of Death and that mysterious person. Lisa flopped on the sofa as she said,

”... Man,” Lisa shrugged. ”For all that searching, they never thought to look into the basement!”

"They’re clearly not the smartest," Saskia said with a shrug, kicking aside a piece of torn up wood. If they were dumb it’d be easier for them to outsmart them next time. "I’m surprised we didn’t come across that monster."

"Maybe the robots killed it for us!" Ella shouted.

”Stop shouting!” Lisa shouted as she ran over to Ella and put a finger to her lips. ”You don't know what’s here…”

Ella pressed her lips together and nodded.

Saskia rolled their eyes at them both, but decided not to point out that Lisa was also shouting. Hopefully there wasn't anything else in here that was going to try and eat or kill them.

”Let's get moving," Saskia said. "They might come back."

”... I wish they had dicks I could dissolve in acid,” Lisa huffed, crossing her arms as she walked out the door.

”I'm sure Ella could develop a spell to create them some," Saskia chuckled, following behind Lisa.

"No way!" Ella shook her head. "Metal just isn't very magical girl- and making those, no!"

Lisa laughed (quietly though), covering her mouth with her hands, ”... I mean it’d be no different than making a dildo!” She stopped laughing, then shrugged. ”I think metal is more magical girl than spiders and blood though.” She playfully said with a roll of her eyes.

In the distance, there was a massive smoke cloud that pressed up into the sky, with an orange light underneath it.

"By Sailor Mars, that must be a massive fire!" Ella said, pointing to it.

"No shit," Saskia rolled their eyes, frowning. "Let’s not go that way."

"I think we should! Maybe something’s there!"

”Yes, a big ass fire,” Lisa said with a roll of her eyes. Before she looked at Ella, ”I don't know about you, but I don't want to know what’s at the end of THAT rainbow.”

Ella pouted and hung her head, like a kid told she couldn't put her hand in a fire.

”Let's go this way," Saskia pointed in the direction to the left of where the probable fire was. ”Since we have no idea where we're going."

”Yes we do!” Lisa ecstatically said. ”We’re going to the All-Blade!”

After some walking, left of the fire… They heard the familiar stomping of the robots. Not heading their way, but in the direction they were walking from. There was a familar orange light with smoke…. Lisa quickly dipped into the bushes, and gestured for the rest to get in.

Ella jumped into the bushes and curled up as small as she could get. Saskia got in last, parting some of the leaves to look through. They quietly pulled their knife out, holding it and waiting.

A squad of the robots walked by in a line, meters apart, wielding flamethrowers. As they marched by, they absolutely torched all the trees in sight.

Saskia held their breath… before quickly realising the robots were getting closer, and that those flamethrowers were torching everything. Including the bushes they were hiding in.

"Shit-"

As the bushes caught fire, Ella threw up her hands with a pained cry, absolutely blasting the area around them with snow. Which did a great job of putting out the fire… but left them exposed.

"Run!"

Lisa didn’t even say anything before she darted in the opposite direction. The flames singing her clothes…

“We found them!” One of the robots shouted, as they gave chase.

”... Throw me the scepter!” Lisa shouted, sticking her hands out.

"Alright!" Ella threw the Sceptre right towards Lisa's hands as she ran.

"You better have a good idea," Saskia grimaced, lightening her bones so that she could run faster, ignoring her smouldering clothes in favour of getting the fuck out of here. Why was it always fire?

Lisa caught it, then spider legs erupted from her back as she lept to the non-burning treetops. Lisa hung off the edge with the scepter in both hands and fired a beam of ice at the flamethrowers of the robots aimed at her. Then created a thick floor of ice between her friends and the robots.

One of them stepped on the ice, then slipped and fell forward. However, they aimed their flamethrowers downward to melt the ice. Lisa quickly hopped from tree to tree to escape.

Ella ran as quickly as she could, longer legs allowing her to keep up with Saskia. Saskia pushed a bone spear through her hand, snapped it off, and twisted around to throw it - aiming for one of the flame throwers to try and block it. It went directly in, and when the robot pulled the trigger: it exploded. The robot was blown to pieces and its husk fell forward.

"Do it again!" Ella shouted. Saskia was pretty sure it wouldn't work twice but… she shoved another bone spear through the same wound, snapped it off, and threw it at a flamethrower. This shot wasn’t so accurate, and only pierced the frame, rendering it useless but not causing it to explode.

”... We should ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!” Lisa shouted from above, stopping to create another floor of ice that slowed the robotic horde down.

"We're trying!" Ella shouted up at Lisa, sweat already dripping down her forehead as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

"We need somewhere to hide again," Saskia grimaced as she jumped over a fallen tree trunk. Maybe they could outrun the robots, but they'd get tired eventually and machines wouldn't. Maybe… "Lisa, put ice in front of us too!"

”Wait, you sure?!” Lisa shouted down, before she just fired a beam of ice in front of them too. ”Okay! Imma trust you!”

"Whhatttt?!" Ella yelled, almost immediately slipping in the ice.

Saskia grimaced, flesh tearing as her wings pushed through her back. She grabbed Ella before she could fall and launched them both across the ice, sending them absolutely hurtling forward… and she used the wings to stop them from falling, sharp tips digging into the ice to shift their direction before they crashed into any trees. Like very weird ski poles.

”Keep doing it! Then we can outrun them!"

Lisa continued to create ice on the floor, which confused the robotic knights who were torn between melting the ice and trying to burn the forest down. Several of them fell directly onto their faces and left huge dents.

Ella started laughing at them, shifting against Saskia in a way that changed their direction enough for her wing to slam into a tree. They used the momentum to push them forward more, ignoring the sharp pain as broken bits of wood stabbed into the sinewy wings. They were going fast enough now that they should be able to get away from the robots.

"We need to get out of their sight, then we can hide," Saskia called up to Lisa.

”... Where can we hide?!” Lisa shouted back in between leaps. ”They’re going to burn the whole forest down!”

After one last leap, Lisa turned the Ice Scepter back on the robots, and shouted, ”We need to make a spider so we can get out of here!”

"Fine, make the spider! We'll cover you!" Saskia caught a tree with her wing, spun them around on the ice and to a skidded halt facing the robot.

"Gimme the Scepter back!" Ella shouted, waving her hands at Lisa. Lisa just chucked it at her from the treetops.

Ella caught it, and turned it on the robots, doing what Lisa had been before - covering the ground right in front of them with ice before they could melt away. Saskia, meanwhile, created another bone spear and aimed it at yet another flamethrower. It exploded, decimating a robot. However, they raised their flamethrowers at the two and unleashed a current of flames.

"Shit," Saskia cursed. Ella used the Ice Scepter on the tree beside them, grabbing Saskia and pulling them behind it. The tree was frozen solid, like an ice wall, blocking the current of flames even as it melted. It singed their arms but they didn’t get completely destroyed.

Ella leaned around the tree, shooting a focused beam of ice at one of the Robot’s legs, trying to freeze them, before moving the beam along at all of their legs. Which froze them for a moment, but it gave Lisa a great window to get away and summon a spider and imbue it with wings and size.

The knights robotically turned their torsos towards each other and began flaming each other to melt the ice…

”... Throw me the stone!” Lisa shouted.

Saskia shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small pouch they'd bought to store the Orange Stone, and threw it to Lisa. ”Cut it out before you go mad!"

"I can't keep this up," Ella wailed, sweat dripping down her face as she made more ice in front of the robots, unable to freeze them anymore thanks to the flamethrowers.

Lisa caught it, immediately that tiny coccoon began to swell up until it was the size of a sedan. It burst out, and flew over to Lisa and she quickly peeled the Orange Stone off her palm. She grit her teeth as she did so, but triumphantly raised it into the air - before Spider-legs burst out of her back and she launched herself onto the spider. Before commanding the spider to go towards Saskia and Ella.

Saskia began to pull their own wings back into their back, pushing through the pain that came with it - they'd just get in the way on the spider. Blood dripped down their back and clotted before it soaked through their already torn clothes. Fuck. They really needed a pain negation spell.

”Here!" Ella quickly put the Ice Scepter back in the strange holster she had in it and grabbed Saskia, practically throwing them up and onto the approaching spider. Then her legs glowed with light, which she used to jump up much higher than she should - Saskia quickly leaned over to grab Ella's hands and pull her on behind them.

"Quick, let's go."

The spider took off into the sky, giving the three a great view of the burning forest - and the forest that had already been ravaged by the fires. Lisa went in that direction, flying fast as possible until they approached their next biome: a strange coastal beach.

Except the water was blood.

”... YIKES!” Lisa shouted.

"Maybe it's safer than normal water?" Ella said very positively, while laughing uncomfortably and not even being able to look at the water.

"Right, I’m sure there’s nothing in there," Saskia replied sarcastically. They weren’t particularly bothered by the blood water, because it was just another fucked up thing in this place. But it definitely didn’t feel safe. "Let’s go further along the beach."

Lisa wordlessly landed the spider on the beach - and without a word (or thought), flopped into the sand. She made little angels in the sand as ahe said, ”... This sand feels nice at least!” She nervously laughed, ”Reminds me of home - blood aside, y’know.” Lisa sat up, a forced smile etching its way across her face.

"I miss the St Portwell beaches…" Ella said, sitting down beside Lisa. She scooped up some sand in her hand, letting it slip out through her fingers. She smiled, but there was a melancholy in it. "I can’t wait to go back."

"Hopefully soon," Saskia added, joining them on the sand. She wasn’t so fond of beaches and the outdoors, but it was like home… being by the sea, even if it was bloody. They sighed softly. "... will it even be the same, though? Will we actually have a home?"

”It won't, and we won’t,” Lisa shrugged again, lying silent for a moment before adding, ”I mean, it’s been ten years. They probably think we’re long dead…” Lisa awkwardly laughed.

"Ten years we missed out on…" Saskia sighed. They weren’t sure how to feel about it. It was ten years where their two closest friends were also dead - but then there was Kari. All the opportunities they’d missed. ”I wonder if Greta will tell anyone that were alive."

"I hope not! I want it to be a surprise, we can come flying in on a spider in our magical girl outfits! A proper reunion!" Ella threw her fist into the air, before falling back to lie down on the sand. ”We can party and everything. With alcohol!"

”I mean…” Lisa trailed off, shrugging. ”... Do you think they even care anymore?”

Lisa was silent for a second as she stared up at that eerie red sky, ”There isn’t a Coven anymore. Sloane, Aislin, Sully, Ken, they moved on with their lives...” Lisa began.

"Some of them must still care! Even if there isn’t a Coven… I can’t believe they’d all abandon each other," Ella said.

"Sloane was too stubborn to give up her… goal of protecting the city," Saskia shrugged one shoulder. "But I think you’re right Lisa. They’ve moved on. Grieved, forgotten us, maybe."

”... Despite it all, we still need to help Luca. Get back to Adora…” Lisa said, sitting up. ”... Avenge Kari.”

"Yes! There are still people that need us!" Ella also sat up.

"I’ll make the bastard that killed Kari wish he’d never been born," Saskia intoned, eyes narrowing and lips pulling back slightly to reveal her teeth.

"We all will!" Ella shouted, before grabbing both Lisa and Saskia’s hands. "Together!"

Lisa was silent.

”... Stop holding my hand like that; it's gay,”

"... We’ve done much gayer things!" Ella shouted, refusing to let go of Lisa’s hand. Saskia laughed and rolled their eyes. Lisa tried to pull away, laughing herself.

“... Enjoying yourselves?”

---

Bad Dreams (Instrumental) - Busta Rhymes

---

There stood Mother Will, her cloaked figure towering over them. That sinister smile on her face that never went away…

Ella screamed, jumped up, only to stumble and fall back on her ass. "What- Why are you here?!"

“I am everywhere,” The Mother Will said, “Because I am The Pit. I am not just watching your every movement, I feel it.”

Saskia's eyes narrowed, but they didn't make any other movements. Ella had blasted Mother Will with just about every attack when she first appeared… there was no point in doing that or panicking.

"So what if we are enjoying ourselves?"

“Because you are made for this place,” The Mother Will said, “I watched your every movement from your time in the Old Coven, to your death, to your first rebirth.”

The Mother Will was silent, “I have to say I am pleased fate brought you here.”

”Well that's nice, but we haven't really been made to feel welcome," Saskia intoned. ”And we're trying to have a moment here without you creeping."

"And we're not made for this place at all! Everything's trying to kill us and there's blood everywhere!" Ella shouted.

“That is because you haven’t realized the potential within the bounds of this world,” The Mother Will said. “In the Pit, the corpses of worlds bring about limitless possibilities. Treasures like no other - everything you ever wanted...”

The Mother Will looked at Lisa,

“... Revenge.”

Then looked at Saskia,

“... Love.”

Then at Ella,

“... Indulgence and so much more.”

Then she continued, “And above all else; the freedom to act on your impulses, and what everyone wants: power.”

"That’s not what I want, I just want to get home!" Ella declared immediately, staring at Mother Will with complete confidence.

Saskia was silent at first, expressionless. Love… it was her deepest desire dragged out. Thankfully, Ella didn’t even pay attention to it. She probably thought the looks weren’t pointed. But to get that here? When they were barely surviving? "This does seem like the perfect place to practice torture methods… But what if my impulse was to leave?"

The Mother Will unnaturally stretched, her face reaching out to Ella until they were inches apart.

“... This is your home now.”

Ella recoiled, head jerking back and feet pushing against the sand to push her away. "No thank you! There’s no anime here!"

“... How do you know?” The Mother Will replied. “You haven’t looked yet.”

Saskia’s lips twitched down into a deeper frown than normal. This wasn’t their home, and couldn’t be but… How would they get out? Would the Hound be able to teleport them out like he had in Mirage Springs? Something told them that wouldn’t be the case. He’d pushed them down a hellish crack to get here. Would he have to pull them back out?

Could they even get out?

"Then how do we navigate our new home?" They asked without much change in tone, looking and sounding unbothered.

“You don't need to navigate anything,” The Mother Will said as she sank into the ground. “... Everything you ever wanted will find you.”

"... Right, helpful, thanks," Saskia said, raising a hand to give Mother Will a half wave. Thank fuck she was leaving, they really couldn’t handle something like that for long.

"That’s not an answer!" Ella shouted. "How long do we have to wait?!"

The Mother Will didn’t answer, she simply left.

Lisa just shrugged.

”She’s a cryptic bastard, isn’t she?” Lisa laughed. ”We might be down here for a while…”

"I get the feeling she wants us here forever," Saskia said. If that was the case… would it be even harder for them to find the All-Blade?

"No way! She can't keep us here!" Ella said, jumping up. "But Lisa's right… we should prepare for the long haul. But we can survive anything together, right?!"

”Right!” Lisa shouted, throwing her hand in the air for a high-five. Before turning to Saskia, ”... We should sacrifice Ella if necessary, though.”

"Agreed," Saskia intoned as she slapped her hand against Lisa's.

"What?! You'd betray me like that?!" Ella wailed dramatically.

"You are the most annoying," Saskia laughed lightly. Of course, they never would. If anyone was going to be sacrificed… they'd sacrifice themselves.

”Don’t think of it as betrayal,” Lisa smiled. ”Think of it as volunteering!”

She then laughed, ”There isn’t any better way to go out than a heroic sacrifice!”

Ella’s face scrunched up in thought, seeming to think about it quite hard. "I guess you’re right! It’s my job as a magical girl to sacrifice myself for the greater good… Maybe I’ll come back stronger."

"We’re all coming back stronger from this," Saskia said.

Lisa nodded her head, squatting down as she began drawing the symbol of the Sycamore Tree Coven into the sand. She looked up at everyone, and said,

”... Let’s stay here for a little bit, it’s relaxing,” Lisa shrugged, looking at the literal sea of blood. ”Well, for this place’s standards.”

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Interactions: Leon/Edict (@AtomicEmperor), Luna (@Estylwen), Linqian (@FernStone), and I guess the entire Coven.

The House on the Hill.

---

"We don't teleport out of it... We open a hole, we have someone keep it safe, do what we have to do, and then leave through the door we came through. The Temple would offer its services if that meant extending an olive branch to us, and I'd be happy to coordinate it. Especially if... One of the Blessed Pale Adepts says they saw me in a vision... I'm compelled to answer that call."

Britney

Britney cringed at the thought of allowing the Temple to help them. What made her cringe harder was Leon's thought that he could open a hole into the Pit. Or the fact that it was a good idea at all. All the horrors that were down there—Abyssal Hunters, Autoknights, the other multiversal threats, and Sunshine fucking Jones-that they could easily let out. Britney sighed at Leon before counting off with her fingers.

”... The Deathpile, The Great Maw, The Rampage,” Britney named three beings. ”Maybe you all don't know what they are, but those three are up there with Stiggy that are currently being contained in the Pit. I don't know about you all, but I'd rather not replace Stiggy."

However, the whole conversation about the Pit was interrupted when something charged into the room... Britney clenched the Noble Vow tightly, not recognizing it as everyone assumed defensive positions. However, she recognized scraps of the creature's face - it was Ashley's cousin. This was all the confirmation that Britney needed that "Clancy" was not what he said he was. Hell, she was somewhat suspicious that he was Father Wolf himself! Not so tough, are you? Britney cracked a wry grin.

Though there was a crystal in his chest, a few different things could come to mind, but due to the whole 'infinite possibilities' schtick magic had, Britney couldn't pin it down without further examination. Britney took a few steps forward to get a look at it like Layla said... then Luca grabbed the fucking thing. She couldn't help but tilt her head at Luca's sheer stupidity. He had no clue what the crystal was, and he wanted to touch it - it could have been a magical bomb, for God's sake! Though, if Luca couldn't rot it away, they could be in some deep shit...

The crystal decayed, and Sully healed Clancy... Britney sighed in relief and took a seat by Greyson - who had his gun drawn. Britney stuck her hand out and gently lowered it, gesturing for him to take it easy. If Britney hadn't thought any better, their timing would have been a bit suspicious, but Britney would have given them the benefit of the doubt nonetheless. However, Britney let everyone else do the talking and just placed the Noble Vow on her lap as she listened, waiting for her turn to introduce herself - which she had already done yesterday. Britney mentally noted various things that were said... and cringed her fucking eyes out at Ruby's mention of the Temple.

Britney facepalmed.

They are everywhere I fucking go.

However, things were peaceful until Layla opened her mouth... and divebombed the meeting. Layla threw out some bold accusations, blaming the Greenwood member Naomi for Alizee's death. Luna pulled out her phone, and they played two (wildly out of context) recordings to prove Naomi was to blame. Jack, Stormy, and Linqian immediately shot that down by defending Greenwood, and Layla was acting surprised when she didn't get the reaction she wanted. Britney facepalmed. What was she expecting to happen? Did she think the Coven, some of whom really wanted this alliance, would throw it all away because she said so? Was Layla SERIOUSLY that delusional? Did she honestly think the Void Heart was the victim here? Neither Greenwood nor the Wolfpack was responsible for Alizee's death; it was the testicle and her own combined stupidity.

Adora led Layla out of the room before she could make a bigger ass of herself, but the damage was already done. The meeting was tossed around despite their best efforts. Though, Britney couldn't help but turn to Luna and (cattily) say,

”... You know, this really raises the question of what else you got on that phone of yours." Britney chuckled and left it at that.

However, Linqian began flipping out on Anya, and Britney facepalmed. Jesus Christ, can we not look like a band of incompetent, dysfunctional jackasses? Britney facepalmed. Well, it was up to Britney to try and fix things. She hopped up, ran over to Linqian, threw her arm around Linqian's shoulder, and smiled at her.

”... Linqian, chill.” Britney began. ”Now is not the time.”

However, Britney raised her hands and did the timeout gesture as she said to the group - both Sycamore and Greenwood,

”Heeeeeey, everyone...” Britney started, "... How about we all take five to chill? Grab some pizza. Hell, take a drink.”

---

Shaquita Walker.

^{Some time before Greenwood came in.}

Interactions: None.

Outside the House on the Hill.

---

---

Damn it, damn it, damn it...

Shaquita was right on Clancy's trail as he fled. She got sloppy and let those cops get close, ruining the whole thing. However, she was quick to chase after Clancy, being able to hear his frantic movements yet some distance behind him. Yet, Shaquita came to a stop when he charged into the House on the Hill. She mouthed a silent "fuck" as she shook her head. Shaquita knew that room was probably full of Paranormals, and going in there, armed to the teeth or not, was practically a suicide mission - even for her. Shaquita sighed before returning to her SUV parked down the street.

She would have to report this to Luis later, and see what he says on what to do next.